This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

This position is located in Surgical Service at the West Haven Campus. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week. The Physician Assistant for the division of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS) and associated service lines (Audiology/Speech). This position would serve as a source to provide support to for the outpatient clinic, inpatient wards, emergency coverage and the clinical programs within the division. Patient care continuity: bringing a familiarity and knowledge of the preoperative and postoperative patients and the hospital course of each to the clinic; bridging gaps in that continuity of care which occur with each new resident rotation; and giving each patient an increased appreciation of coordination and personal attention in their care. The duties include, but are not limited: Assisting the Supervising Physician (or agent) in evaluation and management of clinic patients to include. The Specific responsibilities of the APRN are: Head and Neck Program Duties: - Attending tumor board. - Maintaining an active list of head and neck cancer patients. - Assist in coordinating care with other providers and in facilitating follow up appointments and imaging studies. ENT General Services Duties - Assist in the daily care for ENT inpatients, including working with the residents, evaluation and assessment of patients, collaborating with consulting services, and coordinating discharge services. - Function as the primary contact for VA physicians and outside providers during standard work hours while the attending and residents are in the operating room or at other sites. - Evaluate common post-operative conditions for all in-house patients. - Initiate the appropriate workup (e.g., labs, imaging studies) and notify the resident within a time frame commensurate with the urgency of the situation. - Implement care plan changes, with input from the resident and attending. - Evaluate patients in the ENT clinic under the supervision of the attending. - Assist with E consults. - Call consults for ENT inpatients (e.g., cardiology consults for arrhythmias). - Handle routine ENT inpatient and ED consults (e.g., epistaxis, sinusitis, and hearing loss), including formulating a plan, contacting the attending, and writing a consult note. - Review of all upcoming surgical cases involving admission with the rest of the ENT service including the attending, residents and surgical coordinator. - Assist in teaching resident's proper documentation. Audiology Duties: - Revision/renewal of program-related circulars. - Maintenance of comprehensive procedures manuals. - Maintaining inventory for the Equipment Inventory Lists (EIL). - Serving as alternate IT liaison and training others in the service. - Triage Audiology patients for ear lavage. This may consist of otoscopy to determine the need for an appointment in PCP. Cochlear Implant Program Duties: - Coordination of ENT appointment with Audiological evaluation, Vestibular Evaluation, Health Psychology Evaluation for same day appointments. - Make sure patients have received their vaccinations, PCP medical clearance for surgery, CT Scan of the temporal bones without contrast, trial with hearing aids, and pre-implant questionnaires. - Set-up Fischer house services. - Order implants and supplies as well as answer basic questions about the surgery and follow-up process. - Mail unused back-up implant back to manufacturer. Sleep Apnea Program Duties: - Maintaining an active list of sleep apnea patients. - Assist in coordinating care with other providers and in facilitating follow up appointments and studies - Act as the point person for the veterans and providers to help troubleshoot and streamline process and care. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 8:00 am-4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Notifications: This position is a Bargaining Unit position. Selectee may be required to work at any VA Connecticut Healthcare System campus, as needed. This position is in the Excepted Service. The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will recommend the grade and salary for new appointments based on the candidate's education and experience. For internal selectees being promoted, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Physician Assistant Basic Requirements Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy Preferred Experience: Two years experience in successfully delivering care preferred; Excellent assessment skills and priority setting ability; Good interpersonal and leadership skills. Grade Determinations: Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level PA. This practice may include, but is not limited to: Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. Ability to perform patient history and physical. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) Experience and Education. The PA at this grade is at the intermediate grade level and has had progressively increasing responsibility and experiences as indicated in the KSAs listed below. Individuals will have demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve more complex medical problems than at the entry level grade and can utilize their training in the successful practice of patient care and participate in team problem solving. Individuals demonstrate the KSAs of PA-II intermediate level by: Two years of successful practice as a PA. OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency. OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-II: Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education. PAs at the PA-III grade are at the full performance level and lead and organize patient care independently, practice within multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinate all aspects of patient care across the health care system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgment in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentors for transitioning PAs, and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate the KSAs for the full performance level by: Three years of successful practice as a PA OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency and one year of professional practice as a PA; OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-III: Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-8 Physician Assistant Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is PA III. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA I to PA III. Physical Requirements: This work is mostly sedentary and requires some standing, bending and carrying light items. The incumbent must have the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time to interact with the patients and other services.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address West Haven VA Medical Center 950 Campbell Avenue West Haven, CT 06516 US
• Name: William Bernard
• Phone: 203 932-5711 X8234
• Email: [email protected]